Self-locking last



APPLIC'ATO N.29, 1919. 1,426,428. Patented Aug. 22, 19225.

naires stares rarest' ortica. i

RALPH C. -WEBSTER, 0F HAVERHILL, IVIASSAGHSE'VITS, ASSIGNOR TO ElllZ-ElVIlPIIEtE` i DOUBLE :PIVOT LAST GOMANY, OF AUBURN, MAINE, A, CORPORATION'OF MAINE.

SELF-LOCKING Lasr.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22,1922.

Application led January 29, 1919. Serial No. 273,745.

T 0 all whom it may 00110611@ Be it known thatI, RALPH C. WEBSTER, a

l citizen of the United' States, residing at I-Iaverhill, in the county of -Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Lasts, of which the following is a specification."

This invention relates to lasts used in shoemalring, and has particular reference to lasts of the type which are divided in a manner such as to permit relative movement between the heel part and fore part whereby to shorten the last and enable it tobe easily and harmlessly removed fro-m a lasted shoe. The particular object of the invention is to provide a last of this type with self-locking means for holding it extended with perfect rigidity, which means may at'need be released to permit shortening or breaking of the last, without the' use of an instrument of any kind, and without need of providing an xternal movable handle or trigger. In further explaining this object 'I will say that Valthough numerous lasts have been made which are capable of being extended for use and collapsed or shortened for withdrawal, yet `in all such lasts so fary as I am aware, the parts when extended are either not rigidly held so that they can not be collapsed by a powerful enough external force, or if they are rigidly so held, the locking or bracing means requires'to be displaced with the aid of a tool before the last can be collapsed, and in forms where a separate tool for this purpose is not required, a substantially equivalent contrivance in the nature of a trigger or lever projecting externally from within the last is provided. The advantages of a lest which is rigidly locked when in the extended position are obvious; and so is the object-ion to the need for using a separate tool in order to lock and unlock the extended last. to the `development of collapsible lasts having rigid locking means with integral or otherwise permanently associated trigger cont-rivances which project from the comb of the last'and are adapted to be moved by manipulation in order to set and release the lock. But such contrivances also .have their disadvantages. Although they are not susceptible of being mislaid, yet they may very easily be bent or broken and so made inoperative, or they may be accidentally released at wrong times, and their very presence new cessitates providing an opening which may These factors have led the effect of clogging and interfering with the operation of the latch or controlling trigger and ofthe lock itself.

rincipal objects of my invention areto furnish simple, novel lock which is. not

only vrigid and not liable to be released'byv,y j any externally applied-force however great,

less thansuflicient to break the last itself,

but can be released or set without the use of separate tools which is also entirely enclosed within the lastbody: and. whichmay be operated by gravity alone,mal{ing unnecessary the provision of anyv passages or recesses ofl any sort-opening at an` outer surface of the last. Thema-nner in which these purposes are accomplished ,appears from the following description ofv apreferred form of last selected for illustrative purposes, in which the invention Vis lembodied. My last comprises a-y forepart, a heel part,arranged forrelative movement to collapse or extend the last, and a locking device forh'olding the last in extended position operated by gravity. In the last shown, a locking member is entirely enclosed and protected within thefbody of the last, wherej i by accidental displacement and clogging by dirt are prevented, and is not attached to any other part, falling freely, by gravity, into operative or inoperative position. In the accompanying drawings, l

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a last partly broken away toillustrate the form of the lock containing my invention hereinbefore referred to. Figure 2 is a. cross section on line 2.-.'2fof Figure'l. Figure 3 v is a cross section on line 8,-3 of VFigure l. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the parts of the last in their displaced or collapsed condition. Figure-4t is-a perspective view of the` connector between the fore and heel parts of the last.

Like reference characters repr esent the saine parts wherever they occur in all the l ffigures.

Referring to the drawings a represents the fore part and b represents the heel part of a divided last, the plane of the division between these-parts coincidingpwith the line 3:3. This dividing plane is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the last in order that when. one part is-,moved relativelyto the other along this plane, the distance in a straight line lbetween the extreme opposite points will be shortened or lengthened as thecase may be. So tar as the present invention is concerned it is not material in which direction'this plane is inclined. rlie parts a and Z) are coupled together in a sliding manner by means of a connector c which is set into the forward end oi" the heel part and is secured therein by cross pins Z in a well understood manner, and-has a part c which lits and slides in a guidway in the rearward end of the fore part. This sliding part is here shown as being cylindrical and of greater diameter than the thickness of that part of the connector which is set into the heel part, but it may be made otherwise, provided only it and the complement-al guideway iny the fore part extend parallel to the plane of division and are so made as to be interloclred, preventing one part of the last eing separated romthe other part. ln this drawingthe guideway igor said slide is shown as` being a tube e whichis set into a cylindrical hole in the fore part and is provided with a slot f in its rear side through which the web oi the connector passes and in which such web slides freely. @f course they connector may be reversed without departure 'from the essence of th'e'invention, the web of the connector being then set'into the fore' part and the guideway being set into the heel part.

The brace or lock for securing the parts ot the last in their extended position, that shown in Figure l, is a form of ball clutch consisting` of a ball .g which co-acts with the connector c and with the guideway c. The latter has an opening 71, in its side toward the heel part and in communication with the slot 7, This opening may be considered as an enlargement of the slot, and it is sufi'iciently long and wide to permit the ball to roll through it. rlhe wall of the tube below this opening or enlargement forms an abutment, or a pair otl symmetrically arranged abutments c-Jc (see Figure 3), and these abutments are located in the construction illustrated at opposite sides of the lower part of slot y. And in the web `of the conhector there is a pocket m the bottom o'l' which also terms an abutment, and is slightly above the 1lower end of the slide c and the rear side of which is in rear of the abutments i-c by a distance slightly greater than the radius oit the ball. rllhe abutments c-7c, which define the lower limit of the opening or enlargement 71, are arranged in a position to permit the ball to pass over them into the poclret m when the tore part is very slightly beyond its lowered or fully extended position with respect to the heel part of the last, andthe ball may be caused to pass into this pocket by gravity upon turning the last toA` bring the heel part downward. Then the ball occupies substantially the position shown in Figures l, 2, and 3,. where its centerr i, i'u-rearfofith'e abutmentsJc-c and it abutment formed by the bottom and 'rear of the pocket. lt is held in this position by the.

pressure of a spring a which occupies the upper part of the guideway c and presses against the slide c', reacting upon an abutment in the form of a pin o set into the tore partand crossing the passageway or hole in which the guide is located. Obviously this spring presses the connector against the ball and the ball against the abutments c-/c, ending always to press the abutments at 7c and m. toward one another, whereby the last is locked in its extended position without any possibility ot' becoming unlocked, because the depth of the pocket m above the bottom of the slide c altogether prevents slipping of the ball past the abutment shoulders into the guideway.

. ln order to" release the lock it is neces sary only to move the tore part Z) slightly toward the bottom of the last, a distance just enough to relieve the pressure against the ball and enlarge the space between the bottom of slide c and the abutment shoulders Il?, enoughy to permit the ball to pass, and then tilt the last so that the toe points downward. The ball will then roll into the guideway and leave the parts unlocked, as shown in Tligure 5, whereby one of the parts is able to slide past the other in the mannerl required for shortening the last. The above described movement of the forev part neces sary te release the ball clutch is very slight, and the pocket m may, vby proper design, be made' of such depth that, although the ball is securely locked in it when in the position indicated in Figure l, yet the ball may be released by movement ot the forek part so slight as to be almost imperceptible and well within thc limit oi movement permitted by the stretchinocapacity of theshee upper. ln these drawings the depth of the pocket m above the bottom oiQ slidec is somewhat exaggerated in order to illustrate clearly the principles of the invention.

.t will be apparent from this explanation that my invention provides a form ot loelr which is absolutely positive, and which is capable oi. being made of strength great enough to prevent collapsing or shortening of the by any force externally applied, however great, withinV the limit of strength of the last itself. That is, the lock may be made so strong` that some part of the last itselic will break under applied fo ce before the lock will give At the same time the lock may be set and released by simple manipulation, that is, holding the parts so as to clear the opening ii tor passage ot the ball, and then tilting the last heel downward or toe downward as the ease may be; wherefore, no tools or implements are required for jChis purpose. '.hn'ally, the lool; is entirely en: osed within 'the .hater-iai interference with any of the movable, parts;v

whereby entrance of rubbish: is altogether excluded. 5 I

Of course it is to be understood that the foregoing explanation, and particularly the terms indicating direction and yrelative height and positions of the various parts are used with reference to the position of the last shown in the drawings; this position being that corresponding to the usual position Vof the finished shoe,fbut the reverse `of the` positionl which the last occupies during most of the operations'of shoemaking in which it is employed. l lwould point out further that nothing in the foregoing description .is to be construed as limiting my claim to protection to the precise form and arrangement of the elements here shown, or`

to exclude from the scope ofv such protection all rearrangements, reversals'in position and directions` of movement, and modifications in form of the various parts, which vhave essentiallyv the same or equivalent functions and mode of operation of the parts here described. The last here exhibited comprises asliding connection between the fore part and-,the heel part, with aball clutch adapted to be gripped` between shoulders or abutments of such sliding connection, such abutments tending to approach one another as the last collapses, and adaptedI to be released from between such abutments; and the po sitioning and release ofthe ball are adapted to be effected by gravity. Any element capable of 'performing any or all of the functions of the ball y, whetherv actually made as a sphere or a cylinder, or of`other shape, is within the protection of the term ball as hereinafter used 'in the appendedclaims.

The functions thus referred to are of coursef'those of advancing into and wit-hdrawing from a recess in one ofthe parts,` by gravity, being always wholly or partly retained within the last; of being :interposed between abutments on-the heel part andv4 fore part respectively when thus advanced, thereby locking parts inthe lengthened po' sition; and of being confined and secured 1n its locking position' by the pressure applied' against it from opposite sides by said abutmentsunder lthe force ofY the spring. ltiis likewise lto be noted that the spring a has an important function causing the ball tov be grippedbetween the abutments when iny the locking position with the lastv extended,

lwhereby the-balll is prevented from falling back from the locking position and the last tally unlocked. Another function of the spring 'in the preferred arrangement here` shown is that it isthus prevented from becoming accidentends to move the complemental parts in a manner which shortens the klast, and helps the operator to remove the last from a lasted shoe.

Although the recess l.or pocket m is shown i inthe web c of the connector, yet it isprOpequally vwell beformed otherwise than in the c specific manner shown. y Incase of reversal of the `construction the pocket ,wouldk be made in the fore part.- My broader claims lare thusto"be construed as including all f constructions -inwhlch abutments for a locking piece are formedor provided in the parts ofthe last in any manner; but I also 1 claim thev locking piece, which is' preferably made'of steel, within a ymetal-lined 'chamber, and betweenv metal abutments when the last is locked inlextended position; forf both the connector and the guideway are preferably made of metal. Such metallic parts evidently have much greater rigidity and durability than constructions in which the locking piece abuts against non-reinforced shoulders or pockets in the yparts of a last.y made of wood. 1

llWhat l claim and desire'to secure by Let# ters Patent is: i

l. 'A last comprising fore and heel" parts permanently connected together with pro! vision for relative vmovement iniA a'lnanne'r to permit shortening andlengthening of the last, said parts havingopposed abutments l'lO 2.,' A; last comprising a fore part and a heel part, a sliding connection between such parts having .relatively movable ab-utments or shoulders, and alockadaptedto beplaced between said abutments or shoulders when saidparts are extended, thereby locking them` inl vextended position, and to 1 be '..displaced therefrom to vpermit collapse or shortening of the .la-st, said lock being movable into its locking `and unlocking positions by gravity and beingy entirely .enclosed within the body of the last.

isov

' and a spring acting` upon said parte and applying torce through said abutments'to the loclrinp' nece. j

J v Q A last .comprisineI lore and a u i", 1 I s heel part divided by a piane inclined to the longitudinal axis oi' the last, a gindewav if J. l set iin-o die abutting end oi' one or said parts, a slide fitting movably in said guideway kand connected to the contiguous abutting end of the other of said parts, and a ball occupying the guideway adjacentk to one end of said slide, said gnideway having an opening and an'abntment bounding said opening in the side toward the other ot the parts, through which opening and between said abutment and the end of the slide thel ball may pass when the parts of the last are extended, and the other of said last parts havinga pocket to receive the ball and confine it in locked Contact with said abutment.

5. A last comprising a fore part and ay heel part divided b'yA-a plane inclined to the longitudinal axis or the last, a guideway set into the abutting end or" one ot said parts, a slide )fitting movahly is said guideway and connected to the contiguous abutting end of the other ot said parts, a ball occupying the gnideway adjacent to one end of said slide, said guideway having an opening and an abutment bounding said opening in the side toward the other of the parts, ,through which opening and between said abutment and the end oit the slide the ball may pass when the parts ot the last are extended, and the other ot said last parts having a pocket to receive the ball and confine it in locked Contact with said abutment, and a spring acting upon the parte ot the last and apprying force upon the slide towardisaid ball.

6. A last comprising a heel part and a separate fore part abutting against one another on a plane inclined to the length of the last, a metal connector set into one of said parte, a metal guideway with which said connector is interloclred and in which it is adapted to slide along said plane, and a locking ball adapted to passinto and out ot said guideway when the parte are tully extended; the connector haw/'ing a recess to receive the ball and the guideway hax'fing anA abutment between which and the blottom otsaid recess'the ball is gripped when in locking position.

ifi-26,4%

7. it last comprising separate lore and heel parts connected 'together in a manner to permit relative movements in opposite directions to cause shortening and lengtheni ing, respectively, of the last, and a metal locking piece contained inaccessibly within the last, said parts having metal abutments arranged to receive said piece between them when the last is extended or lengthened in a `manner andposition to oppose positive resistance to the shortening relative mov ment on said parts.

8. A last comprising separate fore .and heel parts connected together in a manner permitting relative movements for respectively shortening and lengthening the last, a locking piece, opposed metal abutments in the tore part 'and heel part adapted to be so placed when the last is lengthened that the loclring piece may enter between them, the said parts having spaces adjacent to the abutments in which the opposite extremities of the locking piece are then received, and into one ot' whichth'e entirev locking piece may be withdrawn by the action of gravity preparatory to shortening the last.

9. lastcomprising fore and heel parts connected together with provision for relative movement in a manner to permit collapsing and extending the last, and a locking member to hold the last in extended position, said member being constructed and arranged to roll into and ont of operative position nnder the action of gravity.

10. A lest comprising fore and heel parts connected together with provision for relative movement in a manner to permit coland extending the last, and a lockin member inaccessibly mounted within the last constructed and arranged to hold the last rigidly in extended position.

ll. fr last comprising a iiorepart and a heel part, a bonding mechanism between such parts having relatively movable abutments or shoulders, and a lock adapted to be placed unyieldingly between said abutments or shoulders when said parts are extended, thereby locking them in, extended position, and to be displaced therefrom to permit collapse or shortening of the last.

l2. A last comprising a 'forepart and 'a heel part, a connection between such parts having relatively movable abutments or shoulders, and a lock adapted to be placed between said abutments or shoulders when said parts are extended, thereby locking them in extended position, and to be displaced therefrom to permit collapse or shortening of the last, said lock being movable into its locking and unlocking 'positions by gravity.

13. A last comprising .a orepart anda heel part, a connection between such parts having. relatively` movable abutmen-tsl or shoulders, and a lock adapted to ybe* placed between said abutments or shoulders when said parts are extended, thereby positively locking them in extended position, and to be displaced therefrom to permit collapse or shortening` of the last, said lock being sealed within the body of the last.

14. Avlast comprising a foreparty and a `heel part, a connection between such parts having relatively movable abutments or shoulders,and a lock adapted to be placed between said abutments or shoulders when said parts are extended, thereby locking them in extended position, and tobe displaced therefrom to permit collapse or shortening of the last, said lock beingmovable tween them a locking piece when the last is in extended position, and a locking piece freely movable by gravity in said runway f between or from between said abutments.

16. A last comprising fore and heel parts connected together with provision for rela-l tive movement in' a manner to permit collapsing and extending the last, said parts having opposed abutments ad-apted to re,y

ceive between them a locking piece when the last is in extended position, and a locking piece inaccessibly contained within the body of the last and constructed and arrangedto be entered between or withdrawn from between said abutments solely by the action of gravity. y

17. A last compiisinoV fore and heel parts connected together with provision for relative movement in a manner to permit shortening and lengthening of the last, said parts having opposed abutments adapted tov receive between them-a locking piece when the last is in extended position, said parts being constructed and arranged to iit together and to provide no apertures leading tothe interior of the last, and a locking member entirely concealed within the last and constructed and arranged to co-operatewith the i tended positions' l f 18. A; last comprising foreand heel parts connected together with provision for relabutments to hold the lastI positivelyl in ex `ative movement in a manner to permit shortening and lengthening of the last, said parts having yopposed'abutfments arranged to approach each otheras the last` collapses, and

a concealed lockingv member moving freely within the last constructed'and arranged to-v co-operate ,with said abutments to hold the last in extended position. v f i 19.- A last vcomprising fore and heel parts connected together with provision for relposed abutments arranged to approach each other as the `last collapses, and a locking member unattachednto either last part and confined in said enclosureconstructed and arranged to move under the action of gravity between and from betweenthe abutments to lock andl release the last, parts'respec-- tively. i f

20. A last comprising fore and heel parts connected together with. provision for relative movement ina manner to permit short- .ative movement in a manner to perm-it shortening -and lengthening of the lasts, ysaid vparts providing an enclosure and having opeiiing and -lengthening of the ylast, 'and a concealed Vlocking member moving freely withiny the last constructed and arranged to hold the last-in extended position.

y 2l;l A last comprising4 fore and heel Aparts' connectedv together with provision for rel-y ative movement jin a manner to permit collapsing the last, andl a locking member uny attached to thelast Vparts andmovable by gravity freely' within the last into and out of operative position to hold the lastin ex-v i tendedposition or lto release it for collapsing ymovement respectively, the said last parts being constructed and arranged to holdy the saidv `member resiliently in operative position, and to release or engage it`.upon

being slightly forced beyond fully' extendedy position.

In testimony'whereof I have affixed-my signature. 

